Gargždai claimed a narrow 105-102 victory over Rytas in the Lithuanian Basketball League on Saturday evening. The result sees the visitors take all three points from a contest where precision at the perimeter proved decisive. We had backed the hosts with 67 per cent confidence, but Gargždai's shooting from distance — and their ability to protect the ball — shifted the momentum where it mattered most.
Rytas controlled the boards with 37 rebounds to Gargždai's 31, yet that advantage meant little when possession was surrendered ten times through turnovers. Gargždai managed just six, and those extra opportunities allowed them to weather periods where Rytas pinned them back with defensive pressure. By then, the visitors had already established enough of a buffer to refuse to go away.
The three-point line told the real story. Gargždai hit 14 of 32 attempts, compared to Rytas' 10 from the same number of shots. Both sides pulled up from range with similar frequency, but the visitors' accuracy reached for his pocket after the break and pulled the game away. Rytas' 35 field goals from 67 attempts looked respectable on paper, but each miss in the final quarter carried more weight.
Statistically, Gargždai were the more efficient side overall. They registered 40 field goals from 79 attempts and completed 11 of 15 free throws, while Rytas converted 22 of 32 from the line. The visitors also recorded five steals against two, disrupting Rytas' rhythm without needing to foul. Twenty-two assists showed the ball movement that made those extra possessions count.
Rytas remain second in the table with 20 wins from 32 games, but this defeat ends a run that had included victories over Boca Juniors and Shanghai. The form against top opposition remains the question — they lost to Juventus Utena in their last meeting, and Gargždai's own recent results against Žalgiris Kaunas suggest neither side is invincible. The table goes out of the window in these games, and tonight proved it.
